Infection caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, often termed “multiple-resistant”, are a major problem in health care. By “multiple-resistant” understood the resistance against at least one antibiotic known to be effective against a corresponding non-resistant strain. In the context of this specification an antibiotic is an agent which can be administered topically to a person in form of a pharmaceutical, and which composition specifically interacts with the metabolism of the bacterium or bacteria against which it is used. The term antibiotic thus excludes mere disinfectants which exhibit a non-specific antimicrobial action which are harmful also to the skin and for which the skin can be exposed for a short time at best or not at all, such as chlorhexidine and aqueous hypochlorite, respectively.
Multiple-resistant bacteria strains are known to emerge due to the often excessive use of antibiotics. In order to keep the propagation of multiple-resistant bacteria at bay, strict infection control measures are called for as well as a more restrictive use of antibiotics.
The most important nosocomial resistance problems are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and enterobacteriaceae with plasmid-encoded extended-spectrum β-lactamases.